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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: Bulls’ Offseason

August 13th, 2023 at 6:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There was quite a bit of speculation what the Bulls would do this summer, given their lack of progress the last couple of seasons despite making major trades and free agent signings.

Following four straight losing seasons, the Bulls got knocked out of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2022. Last season, they had a losing record but qualified for the play-in tournament. After knocking out the Raptors, Chicago got bounced by eventual conference champion Miami.

Fans who were hoping for major changes or a full rebuild were disappointed. Chicago trudged along this summer by re-signing a number of its own free agents and adding a couple of role players.

Center Nikola Vucevic was re-signed on a three-year contract. Ditto for guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. Backup center Andre Drummond opted in to the final year of his contract.

They made a couple of under-the-radar free signings in Jevon Carter, who will compete for the starting point guard job with Lonzo Ball out for the season, and backup forward Torrey Craig.

Barring an unexpected blockbuster move, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams will return to their respective starting spots.

Perhaps familiarity and continuity will help Chicago take the next step. Perhaps Carter, a backup in Milwaukee, will form a solid point guard duo with Alex Caruso. Perhaps this will be the season Williams lives up to his draft status.

That brings us to today’s topic: How do you feel about the Bulls’ offseason approach? Did they do the right thing by essentially staying the course and tweaking the roster or should they have made significant changes?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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Community Shootaround: Hall Of Fame Omissions

August 12th, 2023 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Saturday’s induction ceremony at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame featured another impressive class, many of whom have NBA ties. Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker all enjoyed long, illustrious careers and were easy choices for enshrinement in Springfield.

But even with more than 150 players in the Hall of Fame, there are some noteworthy omissions. Many players throughout the years have reached notable milestones or contributed to numerous championships without being rewarded by Hall of Fame voters.

Vince Carter, who scored more than 25,700 points in 21 NBA seasons, appears to be the only obvious choice among first-time-eligible players in 2024. That might open the door for a few others who have been waiting a long time for recognition.

Here are a few candidates with possible Hall of Fame credentials:

  • With 20,049 career points, Tom Chambers is the highest-scoring NBA player who’s not already in the Hall. He was a four-time All-Star and was named MVP of the 1987 game.
  • Antawn Jamison is right behind Chambers with 20,042 points, making them the only eligible 20,000-point scorers not in the Hall. Jamison was a two-time All-Star and was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2004.
  • Chauncey Billups is one of two eligible Finals MVPs who haven’t been voted into the Hall. The Trail Blazers coach was a five-time All-Star, made three All-NBA teams and was twice named to the All-Defensive team.
  • Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudamire starred during the Suns’ “Seven Seconds or Less” era. Marion was a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA honoree and won a title with Dallas in 2011. Stoudamire was Rookie of the Year in 2003 and picked up six All-Star appearances and five All-NBA designations during his career.
  • A.C. Green set an NBA record by playing in 1,192 consecutive games. Even though he didn’t put up flashy numbers, he won three championships with the Lakers and was a steady contributor for his entire 16-year career.
  • Shawn Kemp was a six-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection. The “Reign Man” scored more than 15,000 career points and was among the game’s most ferocious dunkers.
  • Bill Laimbeer epitomized the “Bad Boys” attitude during his years with the Pistons. He won two titles, made four All-Star teams and was an early pioneer among three-point shooting big men. Laimbeer also became a successful WNBA coach after retirement, winning three championships and earning Coach of the Year honors twice.

We want to get your opinion. Do you consider the names on this list to be Hall of Famers, and do you have some more to nominate? Please leave your responses in the space below.

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Community Shootaround: Team USA’s World Cup Chances

August 9th, 2023 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s plenty of talent on Team USA as it prepares for the FIBA World Cup, but no one would mistake it for an Olympic team.

The glamour of the Olympics attracts the best players in the world, but for Americans the World Cup is geared more toward those who want to break into international competition. There are few All-Stars on this year’s roster, and many of the players are in the early stages of their careers.

The starting lineup for Monday’s first exhibition game featured Mikal Bridges, Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson and Jaren Jackson Jr. Team USA started slowly — leading Puerto Rico by just seven points at halftime — but eventually pulled away for a 43-point win.

Without a dominant scorer, the U.S. displayed the kind of balanced attack it will likely need to make a serious run in the tournament. Edwards and Cameron Johnson led the way with 15 points apiece as Team USA had seven players in double figures.

“I think the guys have really picked up what we’re trying to install at both ends, and we’re slowly but surely getting used to the FIBA rules and interpretations — coaches included,” head coach Steve Kerr said after the win, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It’s all part of the process of getting accustomed to what we’re going to be facing.”

Tyrese Haliburton, who had 12 assists against Puerto Rico, is part of a deep bench that will make it challenging for Kerr to allocate minutes. The U.S. also has Austin Reaves and Josh Hart in the backcourt, Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and Cameron Johnson as forwards and Bobby Portis and Walker Kessler in the middle.

Kerr may rely on a small-ball approach, Bontemps adds in a separate story, noting that Team USA never had two big men on the court at the same time against Puerto Rico or in its scrimmages against the Select Team. Banchero even saw time at center after Jackson got into foul trouble, and Kerr indicated that he’ll continue to be used in that role.

There are much tougher tests ahead for the Americans, starting with Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Saturday. There are also exhibition contests against medal contenders Spain, Greece and Germany before the tournament begins August 26.

The U.S. is always viewed as a favorite in any international setting, but it’s coming off an embarrassing seventh-place finish in the World Cup four years ago. Team USA will be facing more experienced opponents that are led by bigger stars and are more accustomed to playing together.

We want to get your opinion. Is the U.S. squad good enough to bring home the gold medal or will this be another disappointment in a non-Olympic year? Please leave your comments in the space below.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: Nets’ Rotation

August 8th, 2023 at 10:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

For the last few seasons, all the attention on the Nets was focused on their star players.

Now that James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been dealt away, the spotlight on the franchise has dimmed. However, Brooklyn did make the playoffs last year after the blockbuster trades of Durant and Irving. The Nets got swept by the Sixers in the opening round but they have enough quality players to claim another postseason spot next season.

Coach Jacque Vaughn will have a major challenge trying to fit all the pieces together. Mikal Bridges, acquired in the Durant trade, is the closest thing the team has to an All-Star talent.

Cameron Johnson received a huge contract after entering the summer as a restricted free agent. Nic Claxton stands out at the center spot.

From there, it gets cloudy. Spencer Dinwiddie will likely reclaim the starting point guard spot but if Ben Simmons comes back strong, that could change. Royce O’Neale was a starter most of his career until the trades brought an influx of wings and forwards.

Dorian Finney-Smith started regularly after being acquired Dallas, but it’s no lock he’ll remain a part of the first unit. Simmons could be the starting power forward if he doesn’t displace Dinwiddie.

First-round picks Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead could also be part of the mix, though Whitehead is recovering from foot surgery.

The Nets added Lonnie Walker on a one-year deal in free agency and Cam Thomas, a 2021 first-rounder who’s had some big offensive nights, will also be pushing for a rotation spot. Brooklyn also signed Dennis Smith Jr., who could back up Dinwiddie if Simmons plays another position.

Day’Ron Sharpe could serve as Claxton’s backup if Vaughn opts against smaller lineups.

That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you think the Nets’ rotation will shake out this season? Which players will start? Who do you feel will be left out of the rotation?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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Community Shootaround: Should Raptors Trade Pascal Siakam?

August 7th, 2023 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors find themselves at a crossroads entering the 2023/24 season. The same is true of All-Star forward Pascal Siakam.

Despite everyone around the league keying in on Toronto as a possible seller at the February trade deadline, the team instead decided to make a win-now move, trading away a 2024 first-round pick to land center Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors played better down the stretch with the Austrian big man in the lineup, but they ultimately finished just 41-41 and were quickly eliminated from the play-in tournament.

Toronto lost guard Fred VanVleet — Siakam’s longtime running mate — to Houston in free agency, replacing him with Dennis Schröder. While Schröder is a solid player, most would consider him a pretty significant downgrade from VanVleet. And Toronto’s other notable offseason moves — signing Jalen McDaniels and drafting Gradey Dick — are unlikely to have a major impact on the standings in ’23/24.

Siakam, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract, and the Raptors won’t want to lose him for nothing like they did with VanVleet. The Hawks have been repeatedly mentioned as a trade suitor for the two-time All-NBA member this offseason. The Pacers and Trail Blazers have been cited at times as well, though Portland seems an unlikely destination after Damian Lillard‘s trade request.

Siakam reportedly doesn’t want to play anywhere but Toronto. He’s coming on off an excellent season in ’22/23, averaging 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 71 games (37.4 minutes), with the points and assists per game representing career highs.

The 29-year-old is a long, versatile play-maker who isn’t a great shooter — similar to ’21/22 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. OG Anunoby is another rangy forward on the roster who’s entering the final year of his deal, but the Raptors reportedly aren’t open to moving the All-Defensive Second Team member.

The decision to move Siakam or not certainly isn’t a simple one for the Raptors. Siakam, the ’18/19 Most Improved Player, has blossomed into a legitimate star, and the Raptors haven’t had much success landing top-tier free agents. There’s a real chance they could give him a contract extension if they don’t deal him.

If they move Siakam to free up bigger roles for Barnes and Anunoby, what would a return package look like? Masai Ujiri hasn’t shown any inclination to entertain a rebuild in the past, so draft picks are unlikely to be of much interest. Perhaps young players who would better fit the roster could make sense, but who can meet that ask?

We want to know what you think. Should the Raptors trade Siakam? Should they extend him? Or should they wait until the trade deadline or next offseason to resolve the matter? Head to the comments and share your thoughts. We look forward to your input.

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Community Shootaround: 2023/24 Most Improved Player

August 6th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA’s Most Improved Player award has an impressive list of winners since it was created ahead of the 1985/86 season. That’s been particularly true since ’12/13, with Paul George, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ja Morant and most recently Lauri Markkanen honored over that span.

Over the past couple decades, the award has favored rising young players — 17 of the past 23 winners had played fewer than five seasons. However, two of the past three winners — Randle and Markkanen — broke that mold, as Randle won following his seventh season, while Markkanen just completed his sixth.

Attempting to predict the future is often a fool’s errand, obviously, but I’ve always enjoyed the MIP award because it’s fun to see players exceed what people may have thought they were capable of, and unexpected breakout seasons are both entertaining and rewarding.

According to BetOnline.ag, the way-too-early list of favorites for the 2023/24 Most Improved Player award is as follows:

Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley (+2500) and Thunder wing Jalen Williams (+2800) just missed out on the top 10.

Poole might seem like an odd choice to be the early favorite given his playoff struggles to end last season, but it makes some sense. There’s a good chance he’ll put up big offensive numbers for the Wizards after they traded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, their two leading scorers in ’22/23; he often did the same when Stephen Curry was injured.

I wonder if the mini-breakout Bridges had with Brooklyn after the team acquired him at the February deadline might work against him to an extent for MIP in ’23/24. It’ll be hard to top his averages with the Nets from last season — 26.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG on .475/.376/.894 shooting in 27 games (34.2 MPG).

Barnes — the ’21/22 Rookie of the Year — would likely benefit individually if Toronto decides to trade Pascal Siakam, as their skill sets have a good deal of overlap. Sharpe will almost certainly have a bigger role next season if Portland eventually trades Damian Lillard as well.

Cunningham’s strong performance with the U.S. Select Team is worth noting after the former No. 1 overall pick missed the majority of last season with a shin injury. I’m not going to go over all the early betting favorites, but I do think it’s a solid list given we’re still two-plus months from the season starting and there are so many unknown variables in play.

That brings us to our question of the day: Who is your early pick for the 2023/24 Most Improved Player award? Head to the comments and let us know what you think.

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Community Shootaround: Cavaliers’ Offseason

August 5th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers made a major splash last summer, trading for star guard Donovan Mitchell after an impressive turnaround in 2021/22. Mitchell made his first All-NBA appearance in ’22/23 following an excellent all-around year, but Cleveland — which went 51-31 during the regular season and entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 4 seed — had an early postseason exit, falling to the Knicks in a rather lopsided first-round series.

In addition to experience, the Cavaliers needed to find more shooting, depth and perhaps most importantly a good fit at small forward entering ’23/24. The team prioritized re-signing free agent swignman Caris LeVert as well, giving him a two-year, $32MM contract.

As an over-the-cap team, the Cavs didn’t have a ton of money to spend on free agents this offseason, and they only held one pick in June’s draft — 49th overall — which they used on former Eastern Michigan wing Emoni Bates, later signing him to a two-way contract. They also quickly reached an agreement to sign undrafted guard Craig Porter Jr. to a two-way deal and filled their third two-way slot by re-signing Isaiah Mobley.

In free agency, the Cavaliers took advantage of the new CBA’s more lenient salary-matching rules for non-taxpaying teams to give former Heat wing Max Strus more money than he previously would have been eligible for based on the outgoing salaries involved in the sign-and-trade to land him. They also gave forward Georges Niang a significant chunk of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception and used a portion of their bi-annual exception on guard Ty Jerome.

As our roster count shows, the Cavs still have a couple of standard roster spots open, but will almost certainly only add one more player to their main roster due to their proximity to the luxury tax. All three two-way slots are filled, as previously mentioned. Eventually, they’ll add some players on Exhibit 10 training camp deals to fill out their G League team.

Here’s a more condensed rundown of their offseason moves:

Roster additions:

Subtractions:

  • Cedi Osman (traded to Spurs in Strus deal)
  • Lamar Stevens (same as Osman, except Stevens was released before his contract became guaranteed and is currently an unrestricted free agent; he’s ineligible to re-sign with Cleveland)
  • Dylan Windler (joined Knicks on two-way deal)
  • Robin Lopez (signed with Bucks)
  • Raul Neto (signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce)

Danny Green and Mamadi Diakite (two-way) remain unrestricted free agents.

It’s worth noting that Ricky Rubio, who returned to action last season following a torn ACL, recently announced that he was taking a break from basketball to focus on his mental health. It’s unclear how that will affect the veteran guard’s status entering next season.

We want to know what you think. Did the Cavs improve this summer? Will they advance past the first round of the playoffs in 2023/24, assuming they make it in? Head to the comments and share your thoughts on Cleveland’s offseason.

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Community Shootaround: Which Non-Heat Team Should Pursue Lillard?

August 2nd, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now more than a month removed from Damian Lillard‘s trade request, which he submitted on July 1, and the Trail Blazers don’t appear to be much closer to moving the star guard today than they were at that time.

Lillard’s insistence that he only wants to play for the Heat has limited his market, as have the four years and $216MM left on his contract, which has reportedly made teams wary about giving up a significant package for him.

The Blazers are essentially stuck at an impasse, apparently “disinclined” to seriously engage with the Heat but also without any other viable options available to them for the time being, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during an NBA Today appearance on Tuesday (YouTube link).

“As I look across the league and have conversations with executives and agents, I can’t identify another team that is seriously making an offer for Dame Lillard at this point,” Windhorst said. “And so my belief is that the Heat can’t either.

“And so while people can look at what the Heat’s offer might be and scoff at it, if their offer is the only one on the table, it therefore is the best one on the table. And the fact that Portland isn’t going forward with anything is a verification of that, that they don’t have another offer. So, very low incentive for the Heat to improve their offer at this point, and no incentive really right now for Portland to take that offer. And we have a stare-down.”

As ESPN’s Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski have said, and as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reiterates, Miami has no desire to bid against itself in an effort to bring Portland back to the negotiating table, but remains hopeful that the Blazers will be willing to reopen those conversations at some point in the coming weeks.

A veteran assistant coach who spoke to Jackson suggests that the Heat and Blazers both have some incentive to try to get something done before the regular season begins. If Miami is going to acquire Lillard, the assistant observes, the team would prefer to do it sooner rather than later in order to begin establishing chemistry with its new-look roster following the loss of guards Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. Portland, meanwhile, would presumably like to have a clean slate to begin the 2023/24 season rather than keeping a disgruntled star on the roster and remaining in a holding pattern.

The clearest way for the negotiations to move forward would be for a second suitor besides the Heat to emerge as a serious contender for Lillard. Even if the Blazers don’t ultimately make a deal with that non-Heat team, the presence of another bidder could help push Miami to increase its offer to the point that Portland would be more willing to seriously consider it.

So our Community Shootaround question for today is this: Which non-Heat team makes the most sense as a suitor for Lillard?

The team would presumably have to meet a few criteria.

It would need to have the young player(s) and/or draft picks necessary to put together a strong offer for Lillard, as well as a strong enough core to seriously contend for a title after giving up several assets to land the veteran guard.

It would need to be comfortable with the idea of paying Lillard $60MM+ per year in 2025/26 and ’26/27.

And it would need to be confident in its leaders and culture to sell the seven-time All-Star on embracing a new NBA home somewhere besides Miami.

What do you think? Which non-Heat team is the best bet – or the most logical candidate – to emerge as a contender for Lillard? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Community Shootaround: NBA’s 2023/24 Hierarchy

August 1st, 2023 at 12:37pm CST by Tristan Tucker

With free agency winding down, we have a clearer idea of what teams are going to look like for the 2023/24 season. Of course, there is still plenty of time between now and the start of training camps in late September, but many teams seem to be nearly regular-season-ready.

A clearer idea of what next season’s rosters will look like means a consensus should start to emerge on where teams stand in the NBA’s pecking order. However, it appears as though most teams in the league are trending toward building for the playoffs. Only a handful of clubs look like they’re planning on prioritizing youth development over a 2024 playoff appearance.

The Wizards sent off former franchise mainstay Bradley Beal this summer in the first of what became a series of deals that look to have Washington resetting its roster. Players like re-signed forward Kyle Kuzma and new additions Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones could keep Washington competitive, but the franchise lacks an All-Star to build around.

Teams like Detroit, San Antonio, Charlotte and Orlando are built around young cores, but there’s a sense that all four franchises will improve on their previous seasons.

Of course, the elephants in the room are the potential Damian Lillard and James Harden deals that would shake up the league’s hierarchy.

If Portland sends out Lillard, it likely means the franchise is planning for an all-out rebuild. However, the Trail Blazers were a competitive team for much of last season and, if they convince Lillard to stay, they could talk themselves into being a playoff contender. On the other hand, if Lillard ended up in Miami, his preferred destination, it would likely place the Heat among the top two or three teams in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are fresh off an NBA Finals appearance but lost veteran starters Gabe Vincent and Max Strus to free agency.

As for a potential Harden trade, the Clippers are the reported frontrunner for Harden is he’s dealt. Adding Harden likely moves the Clippers into the upper echelon of the Western Conference, though they’re a probable playoff team as is. Same goes for the Sixers. With or without Harden, Philadelphia likely sees itself in the playoffs.

The implementation of the Play-In Tournament means teams are more incentivized than ever to be competitive, especially after a play-in team in Miami made the Finals last year. Teams like Utah, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Indiana, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto and Brooklyn seem like they could go either way. For example, the Rockets committed significant money to win-now pieces like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency but still have several young players to develop.

Then there are the teams at the top. The Suns added Beal to a star-studded core but turned over a huge chunk of their roster and may lack continuity. The Nuggets are in good position to win the conference again but lost Bruce Brown in free agency. The Celtics added Kristaps Porzingis but shipped out Marcus Smart. The Bucks re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez but lost in the first round last year.

Beyond the obvious names, the Knicks and Cavaliers appear to have made on-paper improvements while the Lakers, Grizzlies, Kings and Warriors could pop out in the West.

Despite knowing what rosters will look like for the most part, there seems to be plenty of variability between every team in each conference.

That leads us to our Community Shootaround discussion topic of the day: Which teams in each conference do you consider the best bets to make the postseason? Which surprise teams will make the playoffs? Who do you think will come out of each conference on top?

Let us know what you think by taking to the comments of this post.

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Community Shootaround: Knicks’ Offseason

July 30th, 2023 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks, buoyed by the free agent acquisition of Jalen Brunson, had one of their best seasons in the last two decades. They won 47 regular season games, defeated Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs and lost to eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Now, the plan is to keep the momentum going into next season. Compared to last summer, the Knicks have had a relatively quiet offseason.

Perhaps the biggest offseason development was Josh Hart picking up his player option of $12.9MM, a somewhat surprising move that kept the valuable contributor off the market. He could eventually sign a lucrative extension.

The biggest offseason acquisition was guard Donte DiVincenzo, another all-around stat stuffer who was signed to a four-year deal via the mid-level exception.

New York also resolved the Obi Toppin dilemma by dealing him to Indiana. The former lottery pick could get more playing time with the Pacers after getting stuck behind Julius Randle in the Knicks’ pecking order.

DiVincenzo is a nice rotation pickup but not the star that some fans are hoping the front office will add. While the Knicks have been linked to some big names in recent months — Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, among others — it appears the Knicks are content to run it back with a couple of tweaks.

Still, it’s tough to think the Knicks are done, if only because Evan Fournier is still on the roster. He’s essentially on an expiring contract, considering his $19MM salary for 2024/25 includes a club option. Fournier has no future in New York and expects to be off the roster before opening night.

The leads us to today’s topic: What do you think of the Knicks’ offseason thus far? Are they good enough to contend for the Eastern Conference title or should they make a big move to improve their chances?

Take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

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